northern Kentucky clay ground

[red2816]

Hello,I am a newbie to yawls forum.Please steer me in the right direction or tell me if anyone thinks that this would be a good or bad idea.Any help will be great.My ground in the past would work up okay but as soon as it gets wet it sure does turn hard,So this is what I was thinking about doing is I have a mulch pile from chipping limbs from trees that I cut down last year and it has broken down pretty good.I was going to add that to the soil.Then I was going to get a pickup truck load or 2 or clean sand and till all that into the soil.Does any one think that's a good idea or just a waist of time.I am open to any and all suggestions.THANK YOU

 

[Beth_B]

Sounds like a good plan to me!
Also if you plant any flowers, shrubs, veggies or whatever, make a habit of mulching them. Helps stifle weeds and will break down in the soil. I use straw in my veggie beds, broken down wood chips are great too.

 

[Chuck]

Hello,I am a newbie to yawls forum.Please steer me in the right direction or tell me if anyone thinks that this would be a good or bad idea.Any help will be great.My ground in the past would work up okay but as soon as it gets wet it sure does turn hard,So this is what I was thinking about doing is I have a mulch pile from chipping limbs from trees that I cut down last year and it has broken down pretty good.I was going to add that to the soil.Then I was going to get a pickup truck load or 2 or clean sand and till all that into the soil.Does any one think that's a good idea or just a waist of time.I am open to any and all suggestions.THANK YOU

Adding the organic tree stuff to you soil will be great but you must remember that clay+sand=brick. Don't do it.

 

[red2816]

Thanks for the reply I see what you mean with the clay sand turning to bricks.Well scratch that Idea,What kind of mulch or what could I do to loosen up that clay and keep it from getting so hard.If I had the money would peat moss be a good second choice.I believe it has a neutral p.h. I think Please keep sending me any ideas.I would really like to give it my best effort.THANK YOU

 

[Chuck]

Thanks for the reply I see what you mean with the clay sand turning to bricks.Well scratch that Idea,What kind of mulch or what could I do to loosen up that clay and keep it from getting so hard.If I had the money would peat moss be a good second choice.I believe it has a neutral p.h. I think Please keep sending me any ideas.I would really like to give it my best effort.THANK YOU

Incorporating any organic plant material into the soil will eventually soften it up but it will be an ongoing project as the material breaks down and becomes soil. It all depends on the clay mixture. Peat would be good but it might make your clay soil too acidic. You might check into coconut coir too but just plain old compost will be the cheapest and probably best bet

 

[red2816]

Thanks again yea I'm defiantly going to do soil tests and see where I am at and then try and figure out what I can and cannot add.I'm just tring to get an early start this spring.THANKS Again

 

[Durgan]

Never add sand to clay for the reasons stated in other posts. Makes good bricks.

My garden was clay probably similar to yours. I added ~100 cubic yards of compost from the city over about 15 years. About 8 yards every Spring. The area is about 1500 square feet. The soil is now the most beautiful black soil that one could wish for. I add wood chips for mulch every year and work it in with the rototiller at the end of the Summer.

Clay has a lot of nutrients but is useless if it crusts or is water logged.

So add compost you can never have too much since, it disappears with time and add wood chops usually a year old after the crops are planted to keep the top from crusting. Wood chips disappear fast usually in about a year.

 

[Durgan]

http://durgan.org/2016/May%202016/2%20May%202016%20City%20Compost/HTML/ 2 May 2016 City Compost
Brantford makes available compost for pickup daily during the month of May as long as the supply lasts. Two garbage cans full are allowed daily free of charge. I transport it in a box in the van and go each day. The box contains half a cubic yard. The compost is transported by wheelbarrow to selected areas in the garden area. Seven wheelbarrows equals a cubic yard. This is my mains source of fertilizer and soil conditioner.

 

[red2816]

Well I sure am glade I got on this forum ya'll have saved the day,I would have had a disaster on my hands Thanks.Now that is settled I know what I need and It's kind of what I thought.I will asking for advice on where I can buy good fruit trees and what kind and I also wanted to grow any other kind of fruits and then I will post which and what kind of vegetables would be my best chance for this the first year.I have a little gardening experience,But any and all feed back is going to be very welcome.THANK YA'LL again

 

[Chuck]

Well I sure am glade I got on this forum ya'll have saved the day,I would have had a disaster on my hands Thanks.Now that is settled I know what I need and It's kind of what I thought.I will asking for advice on where I can buy good fruit trees and what kind and I also wanted to grow any other kind of fruits and then I will post which and what kind of vegetables would be my best chance for this the first year.I have a little gardening experience,But any and all feed back is going to be very welcome.THANK YA'LL again

Before you run out and spend money on fruit trees it would be advisable to find out if you clay soil is acidic or alkaline. Many fruit trees don't like alkaline soils. Get a GOOD Ph test

 

[red2816]

Yes as soon as the ground is ready for soil testing I already have A soil test kit and I can remember from AG class in school on how to do soil testing.But yes nothing is going to be spent until that is done and then I am going to post my results and see what ya'll would recommend Thank Every one for answering my post this is the first forum that some one has answered me..